


Bad Reputation

by angel1972



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Natasha Feels, One Shot, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 04:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3160862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel1972/pseuds/angel1972
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha was trained to be the perfect spy. She was trained to be hard, and cold, and unfeeling, and her reputation was swathed in the blood of victims who underestimated the Black Widow. Yes, her reputation was spread far and wide as someone who had no emotions, who may not even be human.</p><p>But Pepper knew different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad Reputation

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: the characters in this story are the property of Marvel. No profit is being made.
> 
> So, apparently I can only write femslash if I have a prompt. Why am I telling you this? Could it possibly be that I'm trolling for femslash prompts?
> 
> The answer is yes. Yes, I am.

Natasha was trained to be the perfect spy. She was trained to be hard, and cold, and unfeeling, and her reputation was swathed in the blood of victims who underestimated the Black Widow. Yes, her reputation was spread far and wide as someone who had no emotions, who may not even be human.

But Pepper knew different.

She remembered with amusement how flustered the Russian was, how the red blush on her face nearly matched the red in her hair. How Natasha flatly refused to look the strawberry-blonde in the eyes, instead the Russian stared intently at the floor. 

The CEO couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She watched as the deadly, and supposedly heartless, Black Widow hemmed and hawed, and stuttered and stammered through what Pepper assumed was a request for a date.

Finally, the strawberry-blonde put her hand on Natasha's shoulder, and gave it a squeeze as a gesture of mercy.

'Are you asking me out?'

And it was downright adorable how Natasha raised her head, and squared her chin in an act of defiance. She was trying to channel the same stubborn will that allowed her to fight aliens, and take down SHIELD. 

She was failing miserably.

'Well you and Stark broke up a while ago. And I thought . . . maybe . . . that is if you want to . . . we could maybe . . . '

'We could what?' Pepper couldn't help the wicked little curves of her lips. 'Eat spaghetti in our underwear?'

'I – what? No! You had it right the first time. I want to take you out on a date.'

'Yes.'

'I mean I understand if your busy, or you're completely straight, or – '

Pepper cupped her hand over he Russian's mouth. She attempted to be serious, but watching the normally unflustered Natasha act like a nervous teenager was more entertaining than any TV show. 

'I said yes, you silly, silly woman.'

Natasha's response was to blink owlishly a few times before the words fully set in, and she released a muffled 'oh'.

The strawberry-blonde rolled her eyes, but her smile never left her face, as she lowered her hand from the Russian's mouth. 

'So when are we going, where are we going, and what should I wear?'

'Um, clothes, I guess,' Natasha said. 'I actually never expected to get this far, so I don't actually have any plans for a date. I figured I'd loose my nerve, or you'd say no.'

'Oh Tasha why would you think that?' And for a moment the strawberry-blonde's amusement gave way to concern. 

'I thought my reputation would scare you away.'

Pepper tsked, leant in to kiss the redhead on her cheek, and watched in amusement as Natasha's face turned pink.

'You do know that I worked for and dated a man that was called the “Merchant of Death” right? Your sins, as bad as they may be, probably pale in comparison,' Pepper said, and she kissed the Russian's other cheek just so she could see the other woman blush again. (Pepper was beginning to wonder if maybe Steve wasn't the only virgin on the team.) 'Text me the details when you get them.'

Yes, Pepper knew different.

She knew that under the ice was heat, and warmth. She knew that Natasha blushed easily, kissed slowly, and smiled widely.

She knew that the rest of the world (Avengers included) saw what they wanted to to see, what they needed to see. But at home, Pepper actually got to see what was actually there.

She got to see what others didn't.

And it amused her greatly.

THE END.


End file.
